Microtome chuck adapter for histologic tissue receptacle

ABSTRACT

An adapter for a microtome chuck holds a histologic tissue receptacle by a clamping action and for that type receptacle having a boat detachably secured to the embedding box includes means effective to prize off the boat.

United States Patent John E. P. Pickett 1 3323 Pinafore Drive, Durham, 18.027705 785,280 Dec. 19, 1968 Jan. 5, 1971 Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented MICROTOME CHUCK ADAPTER FOR HISTOLOGIC TISSUE RECEPTACLE 8 Claims, 18 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 269/216, 8 1/332, 83/915.5, 269/14, 269/233, 269/257 Int. Cl B23q 3/06 Field ofSearch 269/13, 14,

[56] References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,499,989 7/1924 Lehmann 269/266X 1,557,794 10/1925 Blackwel1..... 81/3.32X 3,184,228 5/1965 Chenette 269/271X 1 Primary Examiner-Robert C. Riordon Assistant Examiner-Donald D. Evenson Attorney-B. B. Olive ABSTRACT: An adapter for a microtome chuck holds a histologic tissue receptacle bya clamping action and for that type receptacle having a boat detachably secured to the embedding box includes means effective to prize off the boat.

PATENTEUJAN 51971 SHEET 1 BF 2 INVENTOR. John E. P Pickett ATTORNEY PATENTEU JAN 5 mm SHEEY 2 OF 2 13 INVENTOR. o E. F? PiCkQtL 4 ATTORNEY MICROTOME CHUCK ADAPTER FOR HISTOLOGIC TISSUE RECEPTACLE BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION in the microtome during sectioning. While the McCormick receptacle represented an advance in thejtissue receptacle art, a perhaps more significant advance is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,4] l,l85 to John E. P. Pickett (hereafter referred to as the Pickett-I receptacle) and in a related pending application of the same inventor, U.S. Ser. No. 643,537, now US. Pat. No. 3,456,300, filed June 5, I967, entitled Composite Histologic Tissue Receptacle And Embedding-Structure And Method" (hereafter referred to as the Pickett-II receptacle). The net result of the foregoing has been that vastly increased quantities of both surgical and research histologic tissue specimens are now being embedded and sectioned for examination in histology laboratories. The importance of saving technician time in each step of handling the tissue and tissue receptacles has become more urgent. Furthermore,'the fact that the tissue is being handled daily in terms of hundreds and sometimes thousands of specimens means that the time spent on each step becomes more important to the histology laboratory and to the doctor who may be waiting for some number of processed tissue sections fordiagnostic purposes.

Large numbers of the McCormick andthe Pickett receptacles are now in use and a fourth type receptacle has recently appeared on the market and is identified as the Tissue Tek II, by its manufacturer the Lab Tek Products Division of Miles Laboratories, Inc. of Westmount, Illinois. The four types of receptacles are made in different sizes but they all utilize an embedding box member and require some form of clamp for holding the box in the microtomeclamp. The box in turn mounts the tissue block to be sectioned'by the microtome. Heretofore, the conventional Johns Hopkins clamp (pictured in FIG. 11 of the subject pending application U.S. Ser. No. 643,537, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,456,300,) or the conventional so-called Object clamp (pictured in FIG. 9 of U.S. Pat. No 3,41 l,l 85) have been used to hold the box portion of the tissue receptacles in the microtome. More recently the manufacturer of the Tissue Tek Il-type receptacle has introduced a further type of tissue receptacle clamp which the manufacturer i.e. Miles Laboratories, Inc. refers to as the Tissue Tek II microtome Chuck Adapter." I

Each of the mentioned types of receptacles in addition to employing some type of embedding box member which is molded to the tissue block and which requires clamping in the microtome also utilizes a so-called boat member which either loosely seats on the box as in the McCormick and Tissue Tek- II receptacles or is detachably secured to the box as in the Pickett receptacles. The boat member helps form the tissue block. While in the case of the McCormick and Tissue Tek-II type receptacles the boat member is never physically secured to the embedding box member, the-sticking action of the embedding medium, e.g. paraffin, tends to hold the boat and embedding box members together. While separation could be perfonned on the microtome, the operator normally separates the box and boat members of the McCormick and Tissue Tekreceptacles at his work station before the box member is clamped in the microtome. In both of the Pickett receptacles the boat member is physically but detachably secured to the box member. In case of the Pickett-I receptacle the boat member may be removed from the box member after the box member is clamped in the microtome or it may be removed before the box member is clamped. All-the receptacles require some means of aligning the tissue block face with' the microtome blade to insure uniform cutting initially and whenever the block is reinstalled. In the case of the Pickett-ll receptacle the boat member is employed as 'a tissue block aligning device and is then prized off the box member after the box member has been clamped. In the case of the McCormick, the Tissue Tek-ll and the Pickett-l receptacles some box surface, e.g. a flange on the box member, is used for aligning the tissue block. In any case it can be seen that all of the receptacles use boat and box members, all require the'step of separating the boat and box members before sectioning, all require some means of aligning the tissue block in the microtome before sectioning and the Pickett-II receptacle is best employed when the boat member is prized off the box member after the box member has been aligned and clamped.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that the art would be benefitted by a tissue receptacle clamp which would accommodate to the four mentioned types of receptacles and which would provide means in the case of the Pickett-ll type receptacle for prizing off the boat member during clamping so as to reduce the amount of operator time required for this necessary operation.

SUMMARY OF THEINMENTION The invention is directed to an apparatus which adapts the conventional microtome chuck to align and hold in clamped position the box member of any of the mentioned types of tissue receptacles and which is furthermore adapted to use the clamping effort to both clamp the box member and prize off the boat member particularly in thecase of the Pickett-ll type receptacle.

A chuck adapter according to'the invention utilizes the general features of the Object and Johns Hopkins type clamps, but is particularly akin to the previously mentioned Tissue Tek-II Microtome Chuck Adapter. Unlike any of the prior art clamps however the clamp or chuck adapt er of the invention incorporates means for prizing off the boat member subsequent to alignment of the tissue block and clamping of the box member. In particular, in the chuck adapter of the invention the tissue block is aligned either by using a box member surface or a boat member surface following which the box member of the receptacle is clamped between a lever operated, vertically movable receptacle engaging member having a serrated edge and a lower leaf spring loaded member having an opposed serrated edge. The upper serrated edge moves down to effect clamping of the body member between the upper serrated edge and the lower spring loaded serrated edge. During the final part of the clamping movement'a pair of cam activated and pivoted fingers emerge from the receptacle engaging member, in which the fingers are mounted, and prize off the boat member. Where the receptacle is of a type, e.g. McCormick, Pickett-l or Tissue Tek-ll, in which the box member does not mount the boat member when on the' microtome, the cam fingers go through the same motion but the cam finger motion is designed to avoid striking the usual aligning flange or any other part of the box member. Thus, the chuck adapter of the invention accepts either of the types of tissue receptacles described though its greatest value is its adaptation to what is regarded as the most advanced type receptacle namely the Pickett-ll receptacle and with respect to which the chuck adapter of the invention by means of the mentioned fingers effects removal of the boat member. Furthermore, the chuck adapter of the invention allows the Pickett-II receptacle to be aligned on the microtome by means of the boat edges prior to having the boat prized off by the fingers. Upon completion of cutting, the operating lever is lowered which in effect raises and withdraws the prizing levers and releases the tissue receptacle box member. The operator can then resecure the boat on the box and the tissue block can be stored with the boat acting as a cover until additional sections are needed.

An object of the invention is therefore to provide a microtome chuck adapter for tissue receptacles of the type having releasably attached box and boat members and which adapter clamps the box member and simultaneously and automatically prizes off the boat member thereby eliminating a step for the operator.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the microtome chuck adapter for tissue receptacles of this invention showing the various elements in an interconnected relationship with a tissue receptacle box member locked in place, the box member being shown in dashed lines.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the microtome chuck adapter for tissue receptacles of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the microtome chuck adapter for tissue receptacles showing the finger members forcefully removing the boat member from the box member receptacle.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the chuck adapter for tissue receptacles showing the lever bar in a lowered unengaged position and the finger members withdrawn.

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a rear elevation view of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of the chuck adapter for tissue receptacles showing the lever bar in a raised engaged position with a McCormick-type box member, shown in dashed lines, being held and the fingers extended but out of contact with any part of the box member, the box back surface being used for alignment.

FIG. 8 is a front elevation view of FIG. 7 with the receptacle not shown.

FIG. 9 is a rear elevation view of FIG. 7 with the receptacle not shown.

FIG. 10 is a section view of FIG. 5 and taken along line 10-10 and in dashed lines a type receptacle having a flange, e.g. Pickett-I or McCormick type and showing a flange aligning screw.

FIG. 11 is a section view taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 5 and in dashed lines a Pickett-II type receptacle with the boat member detachably secured to the box member prior to being prized off and with the boat edges being used for alignment.

'FIG. 12 is a section view taken along line 12-12 of FIG. 8 and in dashed lines a Tissue Tek-II type receptacle aligned and clamped.

FIG. 13 is a section view taken along line 13-13 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 14 is a front elevation view of the receptacle engaging member.

FIG. 15 is a rear elevation view of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is a top plan view of FIG. 14.

FIG. 17 is a bottom view of FIG. 14.

FIG. 18 is a side elevation view of FIG. 14, the side not being shown being a mirror image thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring particularly to Figures 1 and 3 for a general introductory description, a microtome chuck adapter for tissue receptacles according to the invention is generally designated Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2. chuck adapter 10 is coniprised of a body member 15 having an L-shaped base 16, a vertically movingreceptacle engaging member 17, a pair of cam activated finger members 18, 19 mounted on and mova ble with member 17 and a lever bar 20. L-shape'd base 16 has a leaf spring 21 mounted within the sides 22,23 of L-shaped base 16 and spring 21 flexes about a pair ofipi ns"24,25 (See Figures 5,6,8,9,11 and 13). Leaf spring 21 has mounted adjacent thereto and mounted on pins 24,25 a serrated, verti; cally moving clamping member 26, i.e. with slight vertical mo tion.

A head subassembly is comprised of a receptacle engaging member'17, having a pair of grooves 27, 28 cut therein which receive finger members 18, 19. Finger members'18, 19 are held in grooves 27,28 by shaft 29 which passes through holes 30 in member 17 and through holes 31,32 of fingers 18,19 respectively. A pair of opposed members 35,36 have respec: tive pairs of grooves 37,38, and 39, 40 cut therein. A first pair" of rails 41,42 and a second pair of rails 43,44 formed integral with receptacle engaging member 17 are designed toslide within grooves 37, 38 and 39,40 respectively. Member 35' has a shallow arc-shaped opening 45 and member 36 has a similar and opposed shallow arc shaped opening 46.

Once the above described subassembly is in place, lever bar 20 is placed over body member 15 so that the front face of'leg portion 47 resides flush with member 35 and so that the front face of leg portion 48 resides flush with member 36. Holes 49,50 of legs 47, 48 respectively are next aligned with arcshaped openings 45,46 respectively and 'asecond shaft 51 is passed through hole 49, through opening 45, through hole 52 in member 17, through slots 53, 54 in fingers 18, 19 through opening 46 and finally into hole 50 in leg 48. Next hole 55 in leg portion 47 is aligned with hole 56 in member 35 whichau tomatically aligns hole 57 in leg 48 with hole 58in member 36. Once these holes are aligned, a pivoting type screw 59 is screwed into threaded hole 55 and loosely mounted in unthreaded hole 56 and a second pivoting screw 60 is screwed into threaded hole 57 and loosely mounted in unthreaded hole 58 which completes the head assembly.

Vertical movement of receptacle engagement member 17 and cam activated fingers 18, 19 is controlled by movementof lever bar 20. Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, lever bar 20 is in a down position which means chuck adapter 10 isready to be loaded with a tissue receptacle. When lever bar 20 is in a down position receptacle engaging member 17 is in a raised position and fingers 18, 19 are also raised and retracted. In Figure 1 1 there is seen the shaft 29 about which fingers 18, 19 will pivot and it is also seen that shaft 51 is in its most rearward position. When lever bar 20 is moved into a raised position, as in the case of Figures 12, 13, shaft 51 is caused to ride forward in arc-shaped openings 45, 46 and is brought to bear againstslots 53,54 of fingers 18, 19. Figure 11 illustrates a Pickett-II type receptacle in place with the box member ready to be clamped and the boat member ready to be removed with the edges of the boat member being used for alignment. Note in Figure 11 that the back edge surfaces of the box do not bear against but stand slightly away from the back surface 34 of the clamp which allows the boat edges to be used for alignment. As the lever bar 20 is moved into a vertical position, fingers 18, 1'9 are caused to emerge from receptacle engaging member 137 for a predetermined distance sufficient to pry off the boat member from the box member as is illustrated best in Figure '3. In a clamped position and with the boat members removed the box member appears as in Figure 1.

Figure 7 illustrates use of the microtome chuck adapter for a tissue receptacle of the McCormick type which has a flange extending from'the sides and from which the boat is removed prior to mounting in the receptacle. In this case-the back :01 the box seats against'the back surface 34 as shown in Figureg7 and thus the back edges of the box are used to align the tissue block. It can be seen that finger members 18, 19in moving out clear the receptacle flange and therefore enable the McCormick-type receptacle to be clamped in the microtome ch-utgk adapter of the invention.

In the case of the McCormick and the'Pickett-l type recep-' tacle it is the usual practice to use the'flange with which these type receptacles are equipped as the aligning surface. The invention adapts to this need for laboratories using these type receptacles by memm ol' the removable large flat surface headed screws 70 (Figure 2) which can, be screwed into threaded holes 71 (Figure 2) and used for aligning the box by means of the flanges as shown in Figure 10. The Tissue Tek-ll receptacle presents a somewhat different aligning problem and in this case the invention utilizes a somewhat shorter alig ning screw 70' having the large flat headed surface and which as shown in Figure 12 presents aligning surfaces against which the back of the Tissue Tek-ll type receptacle can be pressed during aligning. Thus, the clamp of the invention can be made in a form suitable to both aligning and clamping either of the four mentioned types of receptacles. Particularly in the case of the McCormick, the Pickett-l and. the Pickett-ll receptacles alignment can be achieved with eithera box or a boat surface.

To summarize the operation on a Pickett-ll type receptacle, the extension block ll of the invention clamp is-clamped in place between jaws 12, 13 of a standard microtome clamp as in Figure 3. Lever bar 20 is in a forward pivoted position which means that receptacle engaging 'member 17 is in a raised position as in Figure 11. A tissue receptacle, with the boat thereon, is placed between the vertically moving jaw provided by receptacle engaging member 17 and the substantially fixed jaw, i.e. with a very slight spring loaded movement, provided by clamping member 26 as in Figure! 1. Lever bar 20 is pivoted upwardly into a vertical po'sition'which causes receptacle engaging member 17 to be guided downwardly on body member and to engage and lock'thebox member of the tis-- sue receptacle in position as in Figure-3. At the same time, finger members l8, 19 since they are mounted on the vertically movable jaw member, i.e. member 17, move downwardly and also relative to member 17 move outwardly to emerge and force the boat member from the box member as in Figure 3. The tissue sections are now ready to be taken. Once the desired number of sections have been cut, lever bar 20 is lowered as in Figure ll which in turn effects the raising of receptacle engaging member 17 and the retraction of fingers 18,19. The box member may now'be removed and the boat member put back in place as a cover and the receptacle stored until further sections are needed.

lclaim: I

I. A microtome clamp for releasably clamping the tissue block-holding box member of a histologic tissue-receptacle in the microtome, for aligning the block, and .for simultaneously releasing any boat member detachably secured to said box member comprising, in combination: l

a. an integral body member adapted to be releasably secured on said microtome;

b. a lower jaw member substantially fixedly mounted on said body member and having a jaw surface adapted to grip one side of a receptacle box member,

. an upper jaw member guided for travel on said body member and vertically movable between upper and lower positions, said upper jaw memberhaving a jaw surface adapted when in said lower position to grip an opposite side of said box member;

d. rotatable positioning means for moving said upper jaw member between said upper and lower positions to effect releasing and gripping of said box member between said' jaw surfaces, said positioning means including actuation means operatively connecting said positioning means and upper jaw member, movement of saidpositioning means in a first direction being effective to actuate said actuation means and to move said upperjaw member surface to said lower gripping position-and movement of said positioning means in a second opposite direction being effective to actuate said actuation means and move said upper jaw member jaw surface to a higher nongripping position; and j boat detaching means including a detaching member mounted on and vertically positionable with and movable on said upper aw member and operatively connected for engage said detaching member with a selected surface of any boat member detachably secured to said box member and to continue said movement sufficient to substantially disengage said boat member from said box member and when said positioning means is'moved in said second direction and said box member is released from said jaw surfaces said actuation meansacts to move said detachable member inwardly of said upper jaw member.

2. A microtome clamp as claimed-in claim 1 wherein said positioning means includes a lever pivotally mounted on said body member and said actuation means comprises camming means operatively connecting said lever and upper jaw member and said detaching member comprises a plurality of finger like arms pivoted on said upper jaw member and simultaneously actuated by said camming means-and adapted to engage plural selected surfaces of said boatmember.

13. A microtome clamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein selected surfaces of said jaw members are adapted to engage selected surfaces of said boat member during mounting of said boxmember between said jaw members and by such engagement align the tissue block contained in said box member.

4. A microtome clamp as claimed in claim 1 including means adapted to engage selected surfaces of said box member during mounting of said box member between said jaw members and by such engagement align the tissue block contained in said box member. v

5.-A microtome clamp as claimed inclaim 4 wherein the said selected surfaces of said box member comprise flange portions extending from the ends thereof and said means are adapted to engage said flange portions to effect said alignment.

' 6. A microtome clamp as claimed in claim 4 wherein the selected surfaces of said box'member comprise back surfaces thereof and said means areadapted toengage said back surfaces to effect said alignment.

7. A microtome clamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein said lower jaw memberincludes spring meansproviding a slight movement and resilient loading of said lower jaw member during gripping of said box member.

8. A microtome clamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein said path of movement of said detachingmember is designed to avoid all portions of that type receptacle box member having aligning flanges when such a box. member is gripped by said jaw membe'rsand to engage a selected surface of a detachably secured boat member of that type receptacle having no aligning flanges when such type receptacle is so gripped. 

1. A microtome clamp for releasably clamping the tissue blockholding box member of a histologic tissue receptacle in thE microtome, for aligning the block, and for simultaneously releasing any boat member detachably secured to said box member comprising, in combination: a. an integral body member adapted to be releasably secured on said microtome; b. a lower jaw member substantially fixedly mounted on said body member and having a jaw surface adapted to grip one side of a receptacle box member; c. an upper jaw member guided for travel on said body member and vertically movable between upper and lower positions, said upper jaw member having a jaw surface adapted when in said lower position to grip an opposite side of said box member; d. rotatable positioning means for moving said upper jaw member between said upper and lower positions to effect releasing and gripping of said box member between said jaw surfaces, said positioning means including actuation means operatively connecting said positioning means and upper jaw member, movement of said positioning means in a first direction being effective to actuate said actuation means and to move said upper jaw member surface to said lower gripping position and movement of said positioning means in a second opposite direction being effective to actuate said actuation means and move said upper jaw member jaw surface to a higher nongripping position; and e. boat detaching means including a detaching member mounted on and vertically positionable with and movable on said upper jaw member and operatively connected for actuation by said actuation means, said detaching member being arranged such when said positioning means is moved in said first direction and said box member is gripped between said jaw surfaces said actuation means acts to move said detaching member outwardly from said upper jaw member in a path directed to engage said detaching member with a selected surface of any boat member detachably secured to said box member and to continue said movement sufficient to substantially disengage said boat member from said box member and when said positioning means is moved in said second direction and said box member is released from said jaw surfaces said actuation means acts to move said detachable member inwardly of said upper jaw member.
 2. A microtome clamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein said positioning means includes a lever pivotally mounted on said body member and said actuation means comprises camming means operatively connecting said lever and upper jaw member and said detaching member comprises a plurality of finger like arms pivoted on said upper jaw member and simultaneously actuated by said camming means and adapted to engage plural selected surfaces of said boat member.
 3. A microtome clamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein selected surfaces of said jaw members are adapted to engage selected surfaces of said boat member during mounting of said box member between said jaw members and by such engagement align the tissue block contained in said box member.
 4. A microtome clamp as claimed in claim 1 including means adapted to engage selected surfaces of said box member during mounting of said box member between said jaw members and by such engagement align the tissue block contained in said box member.
 5. A microtome clamp as claimed in claim 4 wherein the said selected surfaces of said box member comprise flange portions extending from the ends thereof and said means are adapted to engage said flange portions to effect said alignment.
 6. A microtome clamp as claimed in claim 4 wherein the selected surfaces of said box member comprise back surfaces thereof and said means are adapted to engage said back surfaces to effect said alignment.
 7. A microtome clamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein said lower jaw member includes spring means providing a slight movement and resilient loading of said lower jaw member during gripping of said box member.
 8. A microtome clamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein said path of movement of said detaching member is designed to avoid all portions of that type receptacle box member haviNg aligning flanges when such a box member is gripped by said jaw members and to engage a selected surface of a detachably secured boat member of that type receptacle having no aligning flanges when such type receptacle is so gripped. 